Cut carpet edges are known to fray and delaminate at the edge if they are not finished or bound in some manner. Custom fitted carpets commonly referred to in the art as “wall to wall” are ordinarily tacked down along the edge of a wall or other boundary using a tack down strip or similar device to bind the unfinished edge of a carpet against a boundary such as wall or molding. Carpets which are not fitted to a boundary such as a wall, should be bound at the edge to prevent fraying of the cut carpet pile, delaminating of the carpet edge construction, and general degradation of the carpet end due to normal wear and tear.
Carpet bindings are known in the art designed to finish the edges of carpets and carpeting which are to be fitted not in a wall-to-wall manner and therefore have edges exposed to ordinary wear and tear. Area carpets placed on a wood floor are often not fitted wall-to-wall and the edges thereof are ordinarily bound by a stitched binding method using carpet binding methods and materials known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,037,511, to Jackson, discloses a carpet binding wherein a pocket is created by folding a piece of fabric over itself on one end using either adhesive or stitching, or both, inserting a metal bar into the pocket and stitching the end of the pocket to prevent sliding or dislocation of the metal bar. The weighted metal bar prevents curling of the carpet end.
United States patents and at least one International published application disclose carpet bindings and welting materials and methods for finishing the edge of a piece of material such as carpet. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 1,879,258, to Howard; 324,082, to Charmbury; Reissue 36,636, to Sturm et al; 4,724,327, to Mitchell; 2,066,545, to Shuttleworth; 2,855,027, to Bank; 3,592,720, to Wattles et al; and International Publication No. WO 88/06666, to Jodeit et al. In each case, similar to U.S. Pat. No. 2,037,511, to Jackson, the use of stitching is encouraged or required to secure the binding material in a manner designed to improve the bind.
Stitched bindings on carpet edges provide a secure bind and at the same time provide a uniform finished look for aesthetic appeal and greater value. However, due to the thick nature of the backing material used to manufacture carpets, a strong needle is required to sew binding on carpet. Therefore carpet bindings are constructed on heavy duty sewing machines in a factory or commercial establishment prior to the finished product being delivered to the home, office, or final installation location.
The installation of custom wall-to-wall carpets often results an excess amount of carpet waste due to the over-sizing required to fit the carpet wall-to-wall and the natural widths which the carpet material is manufactured and rolled. This excess carpet is frequently saved by the consumer and used for small area rugs, cut to fit closet interiors, and can be cut to fit the central-used portion treads and rises of a stairway. However, the unfinished edges of these excess carpet pieces, also know as remnants when sold as the large last section of a carpet roll, are not bound and are therefore subject to the aforementioned problems of fraying, delaminating, and degradation. Customers can request that remnants be bound for them prior to installing. The cost of binding a carpet with a traditional stitched binding is currently typically about one to two dollars per foot. Once presented with sufficient remnants to install an area such as a stairway, customers have an option of resending the carpet pieces to the factory for custom binding. The cost associated with a second delivery and the additional cost of the binding may be avoided if carpet installers can readily provide a stitchless on-site binding application performed at the installation location without the need for custom sewing or machinery or the extra time associated with a second delivery.